Homeboy helps the Kiwi cause

19 July 2016 - 09:52 By FIRDOSE MOONDA

The advantage of being a home team is you have a better understanding of conditions than your opposition, but that may not be the case when South Africa host New Zealand next month. Kane Williamson's men will have spent a significant amount of time in the country ahead of their two-Test series thanks to the training camp at the University of Pretoria's High Performance Centre organised by former New Zealand player Kruger van Wyk.The wicketkeeper-batsman, who is originally from South Africa, retired from cricket in December and returned home to take charge of the university's cricket programme.Van Wyk is a graduate of the centre. It is home to Cricket SA's national academy and hosts several other elite sports teams at its state-of-the-art facilities.He knew it would be the ideal venue for New Zealand to prepare for the four Tests they play - two in Zimbabwe, two here - this winter."I know what it's like to tour, to want to get the best preparation," Van Wyk said.He has focus ed on giving New Zealand the kinds of surfaces they will encounter in Bulawayo, Durban and Centurion, which are all expected to be slow and low at this time of year."It's important that they are similar to the Zimbabwean ones. As a player, whatever you need, you get. That's our motto."Whatever you guys need we're going to give it to you, and give it at a high level of professionalism as well, so I hope the boys enjoy it as well while they're here."I think it's going to be an awesome series. It's very clear who I want to see do well. These are the guys who I played for and my priorities, even though I'm coaching and living in South Africa at the moment, are still with the New Zealand side," he said."I've played Test cricket for New Zealand and I'm proud of that."Key to New Zealand's recent success has been their team culture, which is centred on the collective and has exuded a fun factor for all involved.For Van Wyk that has been the difference."I think there's been such a new life blown into cricket in New Zealand and that was just through the culture in this side."Mike [Hesson, the coach] and Baz [Brendon McCullum] and Kane and a lot of the senior players must take massive credit for this. They've done wonderful things for the image of the game."That's the best way to get fans back, to get all these sorts of things back, ex-players, and their performances have been outstanding," he said.That culture exists even among those, like Van Wyk, who have left the New Zealand fold. "As a coach and as an ex-player I think a lot of it is about giving back to the game, giving back to the people who have always been good to you. I am extremely thankful towards New Zealand cricket, who have always been good to me and it's time to give back," he said."Tukkies was an institution that put a lot of time and effort into my development when I was a youngster here, so it's the best of both worlds." ESPNCricinfo..

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